Tending the Past
by Steph-Schell
Summary: "Look, I'm not expecting you to understand. Hell, I don't understand it myself most days. But neither will I let you go tell those villagers that Charlie and I are related." Fourth in the Tending series. (Hopefully better received than "Children") Fluff and INCEST as usual.


Miles stacked the cases on the cart. "Thanks, Carter," he said.

The farmer shook Miles by the hand. "You keep bringing that good coyote meat and I'll be more than happy to keep your family well stocked," Carter assured him.

"We do what we can," Miles said with his thin smile as he climbed in the front. He turned to the other side. "Kojack! Kojack! Up boy!" The wild mutt hopped up next to his master.

"Tell your wife I said. Danny and Marta too."

"I will," Miles nodded. "As soon as I get home."

"More stops?" Carter asked.

"Just one. Charlie needs some household stuff. I need to go into town for those."

"Harper'll be glad for those fur pelts you've got," Carter said. "You get plenty for them."

"Let's hope." Miles whistled to the horses and set out.

He was easing the new bundles into his cart when he felt the presence behind him. "Nora," he greeted, slowly turning to her.

She punched him. "You asshole," she hissed.

Miles raised a hand to hold off the villagers who looked like they wanted to help. Thankfully his nose just hurt. Not broken or even bloodied. "Good to see you too," he replied. "How's the rebel cause going?"

"Don't try to distract me, you bastard," Nora snapped. "I know what's going on."

"Glad one of us does."

"You're shacking up with your niece!"

Miles' eyes darted around but no one was close enough to hear Nora's remark. "Wanna say that a little louder?" he snapped. "I don't think the rest of the county heard you properly."

"Oh they'll hear me just fine once I spread it all over town," Nora sneered.

"The hell you will," Miles muttered. He grabbed her arm as she moved to leave. "Get on the cart," he ordered.

"No."

"Get on the cart, Nora." The ice caps couldn't have been chillier than Miles' voice at that moment.

"Why?"

Miles glared at her. "Because my family depends on the people in this town for survival. And I refuse to let you kill them. Now if you want to talk about this, we will talk about it. But not here. So you can either get in the cart or I can throw you in. Which would you prefer?"

Nora wrenched her arm away and stiffly climbed in the car. "Everything alright?" Jessie, the tanner's daughter, called.

"Everything's fine," Miles told her. "Just a slight misunderstanding. I'll be back in a few days." He whistled to his dog. "Up, Kojack."

Kojack settled himself next to Nora, glowering at the stranger who didn't seem right. Miles got in next to him. "You hush," he ordered as Kojack growled. He started the cart forward.

It wasn't until they actually got back to the house that Miles stopped. "You can talk while I unpack," he decided.

"Why?" Nora demanded.

"Be more specific."

"Why are you sleeping with Charlie?"

"Because the nights get cold in the desert?"

"Don't be glib, Miles. It doesn't suit you."

Miles finally turned to her. "I don't know what you want me to say," he shrugged.

"I want you to explain why you took advantage of a young, vulnerable girl," Nora retorted.

"Okay, first off, Charlie wasn't that damn vulnerable. Second, she came on to me. How is this my fault exactly?"

"Because you're older and you should have known better."

"You do realize that Charlie is and was an adult right? More than capable of making her own choices."

"She needed a protector and you perverted that relationship," Nora hissed.

"You're right," Miles agreed. "She did need a protector. She chose me, so I protected her the best I knew how. And better me than that Nate kid. At least I treat her right. You and I both know that the world up there is so much worse than she can even imagine. And there is no one to protect her from it but me."

Nora couldn't believe how twisted Miles' protective instincts had gotten. "Were the whispers I heard in town true? Do the two of you have kids?"

Miles sighed. "Yeah, didn't plan on those. But they're here now. Not like I can just wash my hands of them because I didn't see this coming." He rubbed his forehead. "Look, I'm not expecting you to understand. Hell, I don't understand it myself most days. But neither will I let you go tell those villagers that Charlie and I are related."

"What's to stop me?" Nora challenged.

"Other than my sword sticking out of your chest? Just this thought. That my family makes our living as hunters and trappers. That means everything we need for survival we trade for in that village. Now I have three children who depend on what I can bring from the village. Danny, he got himself married to a nice young girl named Marta and they have four children. Trading with the village is how they survive too. So, _not _counting Charlie and myself, that's nine people who need good ties with the village to live. Nine people who will die if those ties are cut." Miles looked her right in the eye. "That blood? On your hands."

Nora growled in frustration. "You can't expect me to go along with this."

"Like I said, nine people," Miles shrugged. He grabbed the final bundles from the cart. "You wanna come in or what?"

"Sure," Nora muttered.

Miles led the way into the house. Nora was surprised at how normal it all looked. "See? Not a twisted religious compound at all," Miles snarked as he eased past her to leave the household goods on the kitchen table. "Anyone home?" he yelled.

"I'm here daddy!"

Nora looked at the mini Charlie that came running down the stairs and lifted into Miles' arms. "That's my girl," Miles grinned. "Where's everyone else?"

"Momma went out to visit Uncle Danny and Benny went with her. Maggie is doing her chores." The young girl turned to the new person in her living room. "Who are you?"

"Nora, meet Nora," Miles introduced.

Little Nora grinned at her namesake. "Momma told me about you. She said you're the bravest freedom fighter out there."

Nora glanced at Miles. "Charlie was thankful for all the help you gave us finding Danny. This was the way she chose to show it," Miles shrugged. He set his daughter down. "Alright, princess, back up to your room. I have to talk with Nora for a bit."

"Can I go practice shooting?" Little Nora countered.

"If you can find Maggie to watch you," Miles agreed. The eight year old shot out the door with a squeal. Miles turned to his old friend. "How do you females hit the range?"

"We're girls," Nora shrugged. "We're made too. Maggie and Benny?"

"Maggie is short for Margret Annabelle. She's my oldest at twelve. Benjamin Aaron is ten and of course, little Nora Jean comes in last at eight."

"Nora Jean?"

It was Miles' turn to shrug. "We ran out of people to name them after. Thank god we only had three or we would've had to get really creative."

"Couldn't you name her after Danny and Charlie's mom?"

"We don't talk about Rachel much in this house," Miles replied.

Before Nora could ask why, the door opened again and Charlie entered with a little boy at her side. She brushed right by Nora to kiss her husband hello. "How was town?" she asked brightly.

"Town was good," Miles nodded. "Managed to get everything we needed. And a few extra things." When Charlie looked confused Miles gestured to Nora.

"Oh, Nora. Hi." Charlie's smile was brittle but genuine.

"Benny, go outside," Miles ordered.

"Why daddy?"

"Because your mother and I have to talk to Nora alone. Now go."

Benny headed out with his sisters. Miles kept one arm around Charlie as the three of them searched for something to say. Finally Miles broke the silence. "Fun as this staring contest is, it's getting us nowhere." He turned to Charlie. "I met Nora in town where she accused me of having inappropriate relations with my neice. I took her back here, confirmed her suspicions and now I'm waiting to hear if she's going to out us to the entire village."

"Oh, please don't," Charlie begged. "Please, I swear it's not the way you think, honest."

Nora looked from Charlie's pleading blue gaze to Miles' closed expression. She had no doubt that Miles wouldn't' hesitate to kill her if he thought she was threatening his family. But even if she thought she could take Miles, did Nora really want those nine lives on her head? Because Miles was right. They would be in trouble of Nora exposed the dirty family secret to the village. There were still too many people who remembered the world before the blackout and all its rules. "I won't tell anyone," Nora promised quietly. Miles gave a simple nod but Charlie lit up.

"You should stay and have dinner with us," she insisted.

"She's right," Miles agreed. "Desert is no place to be wandering around at night."

Nora agreed to stay the night. She watched the family as they went about their usual evening routine. She realized that Charlie didn't seem to have the weight of the world on her shoulders as the girl had when they were searching for Danny. But it was Miles who had gone through the biggest changes. He seemed to always be laughing or grinning at the actions of his children, two things Nora could never remember seeing him do before. His looks towards Charlie were always filled with love, even if it wasn't the kind that the world at large would approve of. Nora had to admit both of them had been changed for the better.

Miles wasn't surprised to find Nora's bed empty when he woke up for chores the next morning. This lifestyle was not something she could be comfortable with for a long period of time. Still, she wouldn't out them and that was something Miles would always be thankful for. He wished her a long and happy life—wherever that took her—and a family as wonderful as his own. Then he spared no more thought as he had work to do to keep his family well supplied.

* * *

**A/N: **So I'm thinking the next one is either Danny's reaction to the Charlie/Miles relationship or Rachel dropping in on her "married" brother in law and daughter. Also, who would read a story mainly about Maggie Matheson goign to join the rebel cause, getting captured by Munroe, learing about her family's...inbreeding as it were and saved by her father?


End file.
